Street-sweeping machine.



W. A. HOLD'REN..

STREET SWE-EPING MACHINE.A APPLICATION FILED DEC. BI'IIIIS.A

1,236,841 Patented Aug. 14, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l; -Qgi' 34 n 351W L W. A. HOLDREN.

STREET SVWEEPING'MACHINE. l PPLICATIQN FILED DEC. 8. 1915. 1,236,841'. PatentedAug 14, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

im @fm WILLIAM A. HOLDREN, OF SABETHA, KANSAS.

STREET-SWEEPING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 14, 1917.

Application filed December 8, 1915. Serial No. 65,844.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. HoLDRnN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sabetha, in the county of Nemaha and State of Kansas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Street-Sweeping Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates tostreet sweeping machines of that general type or class which are provided with a revolving brush, and it has for its object to produce a machine of simple and improved construction which will be practically dust-proof in operation, thereby dispensing with one of the most serious objections to the use of street sweeping machines of ordinary construction.

A further object of the invention is to simplify and improve the manner of mounting and driving the revolving brush, of adjusting the same with respect to the ground, and of moving the said brush to and from operative position.

A further object of the invention is to simplify and improve the dust carrying and receiving means and the mechanism for Vdumping the contents of the dirt receptacle.

With these and other ends in view which will readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the improved construction and novel arrangement and combination of parts which will be hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings has been illustrated a simple and preferred form of the invention, it being, however, understood that no limitation is necessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited, but that changes, alterations and modifications within the scope of the claim may be resorted to when desired.

In the drawings,-

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the improved machine, the greater part of the housing or dust protector having been removed from the near side of the machine.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the opposite side of the machine from which the greater part of the covering has been removed from the near side.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view with the covering partly removed.

Fig. 4f is a longitudinal vertical sectional View taken on the line 'fi- 1 in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 545 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a rear elevation.

Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 7 7 in Fig. 2.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are denoted by like characters of reference.

The frame A of the improved machine, which is of skeleton construction, is supported near its rear end by the mainA axle 15 having the ground wheels 16, 17 which are loosely mounted with respect to the axle, but which are utilized to rotate the axle when the machine is moved forwardly through the medium of clutch devices 18 of well known construction, said clutch devices being conventionally indicated. Mounted on the ground wheel 16 for rotation therewith is a sprocket wheel 19, and associated with the ground wheel 17 for rotation therewith is a spur wheel 20. The forward part of the frame is supported on a steering truck 21 arranged to swing about the axis of a king bolt 22 which is connected with the frame by a brace 23, said steering truck being equipped with a tongue 2A and with low ground wheels 25 which are capable of swinging beneath arched portions 26 of the frame.

The side portions of the frame are provided at the rear ends thereof with inclined guides 27 ,said guides being inclined downdownward limit of its movement and in engagement with the ground, will mesh with the spur wheell20, whereby the brush will be rotated ata speed which will be governed by the proportionate sizes of the spur wheel and the pinion. The slides 28 are connected by links 32 with arms 33 extending from a lever 34: which is fulcrumedy at 35 on top of the frame, and which extends forwardly withinV reach of the operator whose seat 36 is mounted near the forward end of the frame. A rack bar 37 is provided with which the lever 34 may be engaged for the purpose of retaining it and the slides carrying the rotary brush in adjusted position. The main frame A supports a pair of forwardly and upwardly inclined elevator frames, namely, the top frame 38 and the bottom frame 39, said elevator frames lead- 'ing from within a short distance of the rotary brush to the top of the dirt receptacle 40. The top and bottom elevator' frames are provided near their lower ends with roller shafts 41, 42 and near their upper ends with roller shafts 43, 44 over which endless conveyers 45,46 are trained, said conveyers being constructed of flexible, preferably tentile, material and provided with transverse slats 47, 48. Mounted for rotation on the shaft 44 at the upper end ofthe bottom elevator is a sprocket wheel `49 which isl connected by a chain 50 with the sprocket wheel 19 on the Yground wheel, 16. lSlidably mounted on the shaft 44 and connected for rotation therewith by a key or spline 51 is aspur wheel 52 having laterally extending pins 53 a'dapted to engage recesses 54 in the face of thel sprocket wheel 49, said inter'- engaging ends and recesses constituting a clutch device whereby the sprocket wheel may be locked upon the shaft forrotation therewith, thus causing 'said shaft to `be driven from the ground wheel 16 when the pins 53 are in engagement with therecesses 54, and causing the sprocket wheel to rotate idly` when the engagement is interrupted. This may be eifected by means ofk a shipping lever 55 fulcrumed on a bracket 56 connected with the frame structure and by means of which the spur wheel 32 may be moved longitudinally of the shaft 44. .A rack bar 57 is provided with which the lever '55 'may be placed in engagement fol' the purpose of securing said lever and the ratchet wheel in adjusted position. The shaft 43 at the other end of the top elevator is provided with a spur wheel 58 meshing with the spur wheel 52 on the shaft 44 of the bottom elevator from which motion in the proper direction will thus be transmitted to the top elevator. It is obvious that the spur wheel 58 is to be sufficiently wide to enable it` to remain in mesh with the `spur wheel 52 when the latter is moved xlongitudinally of the shaft 44 for Athe lpurpose of placing the elevators in or out of gear through the mcdium 'of the clutch mechanism hereinbefore described.

The dir't receptacle consists of a VboX or casing, the lower end` of which is provided .with trap 4doors 59 which may be retained in closed or obstructing position by means 'ofchains 60 that are suitably guided over guide wheels y61 on a shaft "62, said cha-ins being terminally 'connected with Ya drum 63 operable by means of Ya crank 6.4, said drum being also equipped with a 'ratchet wheel 65 engaged by a pawl or dog l66 which, by lp'reventing :rotation of the drum, will 'serve to maintain the trap doors in Yclosed position. By releasing the pawl, the weight lof the contents of the boX will cause the `trap doors to swing open, the chains Ybeing unwound from the drum. The closing of the trap 'doors after discharging the contents if the dirt receptacle may be effected by properly manipulating the drum handle or crank.

The machine, excepting the transporting wheels, the exterior gearing, the extreme forward part of the frame on which the seat is supported and the hand levers 34 and 55, is housed in a tightly fitting casing 67 of sheet metal which extends within a short distance of the ground. Connected with the lower edge of the housing 67 is a resilient strip 68 of leather or other flexible wear resisting material which is intended to eX- tend so nearly toward the surface of the ground as to practically prevent the escape of dust raised by the operation of the brush. The said resilient strip may, if desired, actually contact with the surface of the ground, inasmuch as its flexibility will cause it to yield to any obstructions that may be encountered; It will be found desirable to connect the strip 68 adjustably with the housing 67 by means of fastening means, such as bolts 69, engaging slots 70 in the strip which may thus be raised or lowered, as may be desired, and which may also be vadiiisted to compensate for wear.

For the purpose of guiding the sweepings from the rotary brush to the lower elevator a scoop or pan 71 is provided, said scoop being hingedly connected at 72 with the lower elevator frame, and springs being provided, as seen at 73, whereby the free ledge of the scoop is forced in a groundward direction. rlh'e receiving edge of the scoop will thus be maintained in ground engaging position, but it will be free to rise and to ride over 'any vobstructions that may be encountered.

From the foregoing description, taken yin connection with the drawings yhereto annexed, the operation and advantages of this invention will be readily understood. The rotary brush will sweep the dirt over the scoop and onto the lower elevator, the dirt being carried by said elevator to the recepta'cle. 'The top 'elevator will coperate with the lower 'elevator to carry the dirt, and it will also 'serve to confine the dust and 'dirt and .prevent its `being scattered. rPhe housing surrounding the frame of the machine will practically prevent the dust raised by the brush from being scattered, thereby overcoming one of the serious objections to the yuse of street sweeping machines in general. The construction `of the improved Inachine issi'mple, and it 'has been found l"to be thoroughly veiiicient for the v.purposes for which it is provided.

Having thus described Vthe invention, what is 'claimed 'as new, 'is

In a street sweeping machine, a wheel supported frame, a revolving brush, an vupwardly "and Jforwardly inclined bottom elevato'r vreceiving the sweepings from the brush, shafts over which said elevator is trained1 a sprocket wheel mounted idly on one of the shafts and driven by a chain from one of the supporting wheels, a. spur wheel slidably mounted on the shaft adjaent to the sprocket wheel and having clutch means adapted to engage the same, a top elevator juxtaposed to the bottom elevator and coperating therewith to carry the sweepings, shafts over which said top elevator is trained, and a spur wheel on one of said shafts meshing with the spur wheel on one of the shafts of the bottom elevator and of a width sufficiently exceeding the width of the last mentioned spur wheel to cause it to remain in mesh therewith in va- 15 rous positions thereof.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM A. I-IOLDREN. IVitnesses:

A. J. COLLINS, H. F. BREITWEISER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

